Research Paper on Maize performance under varying water | IJAAR
Evaluating maize performance under varying water depletion levels in Bura irrigation scheme, Kenya
By: David Kimani Muigai, Richard N Onwonga, George N Karuku, Abdullahi Mohammed
Int. J. Agron. Agri. Res. 18(1), 19-29. January 2021.
Abstract
Sufficient soil moisture in the root zone is critical for optimal crop development. Excess or deficit water leads to reduced crop growth and yields. A field study was done to determine the effect of available water on the performance of PH4 maize variety on sandy clay loam soil at Bura Irrigation Scheme, eastern Kenya. Three water depletion level treatments T75, T50, and T25 laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used during the 2015 long rain (March to June) and the 2016 short rain (October to December) seasons. Irrigation was undertaken when 25% (T75), 50% (T50), and 75% (T25) of available water capacity (AWC) was depleted, respectively. Canopy cover, above-ground biomass, and grain yield was used as indicators of maize performance. Treatments T75 and T50 had no significant difference among them but both had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher above-ground biomass, canopy cover, stover, and grain yield compared to T25. Maize performance showed a positive linear relationship with the quantity of irrigation water applied up to a certain optimal quantity. Additional irrigation water used in T75 treatment gave slightly higher yields though statistically insignificant compared to T50 treatment. Higher Water Use Efficiency (WUE) was recorded in T75 than T50. Supplemental irrigation at 50% AWC is recommended for the scheme as it gives high yields and is safe on water compared to T75.
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Globally, irrigation provides 60% of cereal produced and uses over 70% of global freshwater (FAO, 2003). With the expected future global increase in food and fiber demands and water scarcity, more pressure will be put on the available freshwater resources. Every available drop of water, therefore, needs to be prudently used to increase crop production (UN, 2016). The potential for increasing maize production in SSA is huge but unfortunately, maize production has been on the decline, getting as low as 1.5 Tonha-1 (You et al., 2012). One of the major contributing factors to this poor performance is water. Challenges in its availability and efficient use especially at the farm level have immensely contributed to the low yields. This is the situation replicated in the study area and in many other irrigation schemes in Kenya (Ali, 2012; Koech, 2014). For instance, irrigation land in the Scheme totals 5,360ha though only 3,340ha are currently under irrigation due to inadequate water supply (Scheme Management-2015). Improvement of WUE in the scheme would mean the possible use of less water or the same amount of available water to produce more food by irrigating more land. Maize production in the scheme currently stands at 3.5Mgha-1 for commercial farms and 4.4Mgha-1 for seed maize. This falls below the global average of 4.9Mgha-1 (Edgerton, 2009). It is also well below the attainable yield of 6Mgha-1 or more with hybrid maize varieties and application of recommended fertilizer rates (Kang’ethe, 2004; the Republic of Kenya, 1997; 2004).
To change this trend and produce more food with less water, increased attention to water management comprising monitoring and measurement at all stages of the irrigation value chain is key. This means that water conservation practices will become the focus of renewed research to maximize irrigation water. Sustainable water management practices may in the future reduce the irrigation demand for water and spare some for use in the expansion of irrigated land and other competing sectors. It is in this light that this study was carried out to improve Kenya’s agricultural water resource management through understanding yield potentials and exploiting gaps in present irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) production. Check out more by following the link Int. J. Agron. Agri. Res. 18(1), 19-29. January 2021.